the effects of a cat bite?

Ok, the other night one of my cats decided to bite me, he actually got his tooth hooked in my arm! Well now 3 days later, it looks ok but it is very like knotted...

I really dont know much about being bitten I guess

I guess I am wondering, how bad can it be?

I can be very bad. If it's red at all, you should go to your doctor or the emergency room right away. A cat bite is VERY likely to get infected, and several members here have landed in the hospital from an untreated bite.

You need to be careful.
I got bit years ago and needed 6 weeks of anticiotics and a shot.
I did get bit a few weeks ago also but it did not get infected or anything even though the blood ran down my leg.
Did you put medicine on it?
Does it look red at all?
I know people that got bit and had to stay in the hospital because the bite got infected.

Cat bites can be very dangerous, sometimes life threatening.
Google Cat Scratch Fever, if you have any doubts about what we are saying.
I would get that bite checked by a doctor right away....
better safe than sorry.

A cat bit me when I was younger and my finger got really hot, swollen and sore.

No it is not red,or hot...just feels like a knot under it.

Nearly 80% of cat bites become infected. The most common microorganism cultured from an infected cat bit is Pasteurella multocida .

I was bitten by my parents' cat while giving him subQ fluids. I immediately washed out the three puncture wounds and went to the Urgent Care. They washed the wounds again and gave me a script for Augmentin (which I filled when I left the Urgent Care, and started right away.) The next morning, 12 hours or less, my entire lower arm was red and draining purulent green goo. I wound up in the hospital, on IV antibiotics for 4 days. I missed nearly two weeks of work...and I did all the right things!!! Obviously, cat bites are not something to be casual about!

Originally Posted by catloverin_ks

No it is not red,or hot...just feels like a knot under it.

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It sounds like you got very lucky! Is it healing up ok? If so my guess is that knot is just tissue damage/scaring.

It wouldn't hurt to get it checked out, though, as there could be a small chance that the top has healed over and there's bacteria trapped inside - and abscess.

Cat bites seem more likely to get infected than dog bites (just form my personal experience). I would definitely keep a close eye on the area, and I'd be surprised if it didn't get infected.

Originally Posted by pushylady

Cat bites seem more likely to get infected than dog bites (just form my personal experience).

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As the doctor I chatted with when I was bit put it - cat bites are puncture wounds, dog bites tear. It's easier to flush out a dog bite, whereas a puncture wound will try to close up.

And note I say puncture wound. Any wound of this type can be bad about trapping bacteria and should be watched.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

It sounds like you got very lucky! Is it healing up ok? If so my guess is that knot is just tissue damage/scaring.

It wouldn't hurt to get it checked out, though, as there could be a small chance that the top has healed over and there's bacteria trapped inside - and abscess.

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Yeah that's what I am thinking-it healed over with maybe some infection inside.

I would just monitor it.

I got a decent bite from my roommate's cat about 6 months ago. There is a good amount of bacteria in their mouth, so it is important to keep the wound clean. On several occasions I had to prick the sight with a needle to expose it and cleaned with alcohol. Never got infected.

Also, largely depends on your immune system. If you are immune-compromised or suppressed by any means, get it checked out immediately.

If you have that lump you better get to the Dr right away. I was bitten a month ago. I'm on my 3rd ten day round of antibiotics and the lump is there. Evidently it is a pocket of infection and I can believe that. I'm keeping a heating pad on it as many hours per day and night as I can but I continue to be quite sick feeling. I decided a couple of days ago that I was going to massage the lump and get it moving out of there. Wrong!  I got very sick and my arm started getting red again. The bite is just below my elbow and it was red again clear to my shoulder. I guess I forgot to mention that I have also had two rounds of IV antibiotic at the hospital. This lump now feels like it is right on the bone and that's bad, too. They are going to do XRays to see if I am getting something called Bone Necrosis or something like that. It means the bacteria is eating my arm bone. I've been a little more active today and feel very sick again. I have no appetite again today and that comes and goes. I'm really scared by this as I had sepsis 3 years ago and was in the hospital for 89 days. I'm trying to do this on an outpatient basis so my bill is not so horrible this time. It was over $60,000 last time. I'm a perfectly healthy person other than my problems with infections. However I know other people who ended up in the hospital from cat bite. I am on very strong pain medicine and still have a lot of pain especially when I rubbed it and got it riled up the other day. Cat bites are the dirtiest bite there is and this is life threatening. Wouldn't that be the pits to be perfectly healthy and die of a cat bite. When I had sepsis I was giving foster care to a couple of dogs who were rescues from a puppy mill and they came to me with feces matted in their hair. I know that is what caused it. I still do animal rescue work but this was my own cat who bit me. He is a declawed and neutered Maine Coon and they are the biggest cats. He has a huge mough and long teeth. They now think his tooth scraped the bone. I see the Dr in 3 days so I'll come back and tell you what is next if I'm still able. Just kidding......I AM NOT GOING TO DIE with a stupid cat bite. He was trying to fight another cat and when I grabbed him he thought the other cat had him. Never try to seperate angry animals.

I have been bitten a time or two.  Probably not such a deep bite. My sister was separating a cat and new dog in the home. Her cat slightly punctured her knuckle.  I just received a call from my mother that my sister has been in the hospital since Friday morning and wont be released until Wednesday if all goes well. Her arm is cut open from the knuckle to the middle of her forearm so the arm can be flush as needed.  She will be on iv drip antibiotics for the next 4 to 6 weeks once she returns home. Due to the massive cut in the arm to keep the infection flushed, she will be undergoing physical therapy to get her hand back to normal.  The hand surgeon says 80% of his patients are there due to cat bites.  So for anyone who takes it lightly, if you see any knot or swelling, you need antibiotics. Go to the doctor. my sister waited 1 day and was close to death.